Analysts: Pacquiao never saw punch coming

Overconfidence spelled Pacquiao's doom

MANILA, Philippines – Local boxing analysts said Manny Pacquiao was actually looking good before Juan Manuel Marquez knocked him out in the sixth round.

Sportscasters Ronnie Nathanielsz and Ed Tolentino told ANC that they believe the Filipino superstar could have won by points if not for Marquez’s stunning knockout victory.

“Pacquiao, before that knock out, he looked good. The best I've seen Pacquiao since 2009 when he knocked out Miguel Cotto,” said Tolentino, pointing out that Pacquiao had broken Marquez’s nose and was going for the kill in the final seconds of the sixth round.

“[But] for some reason, unintentionally, his foot landed on the foot of Marquez, he lost his balance,” Tolentino said. “And there was that right hand, the right hand that he never saw, and [he] literally swallowed that right hand of Marquez.”

Pacquiao has been practicing to evade that right hand, which is said to be Marquez's most powerful weapon.

But because of his aggressiveness, he walked straight to that right cross and got knocked out cold. The fight officially ended at 2:59 of Round 6.

“He did admit after the fight he never saw that punch come in,” Tolentino said.

For his part, Nathanielsz said the defeat is painful since it came at the last second before the bell rang.

“Marquez was waiting to get knocked out and then he got caught with one second to go [in that round]. That's what's painful, one second to go with that killer right. And that was it,” he said.

Nathanielsz said he had Pacquiao leading by at least 2 points.

“Pacquiao was dominating the fight by at least a point, possibly by two points because he was the aggressor, he was throwing a lot of punches, he was connecting with great combinations. He had Marquez's face bloodied and he had Marquez backing,” Nathanielsz said.